Multiple zone fluid circulating apparatus



Feb. 28, 1961 W. S. PAYNE, JR

MULTIPLE ZONE FLUID CIRCULATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 2, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 SALT WATER SAND MNN

5 SHALE SAND SAND

\ SHALE SAND SAN D INVENTOR W INF|ELD S. PAYNE, Jr.

ATTORNEY Feb. 28, 1961 w. s. PAYNE, JR

MULTIPLE ZONE FLUID CIRCULATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2,1956 III INVENTOR WINFIELD S. PAYNE, Jr.

Eng

M, W i m ATTORNEY U d i s, Patent 2373,0319 ZONE rnum cmoumrmo APPARATUSWinfield s. Payne, Jr. Long Beach, this, assign: so Richfield OilCorporation, 'Los -Angeles, cans, acor poration-of Delaware i FiledNov.2, 19s6,"ser. No. 619,979 2 Claims. -(Cl.-1'66224) This inventionrelates to well apparatus for use in' th'e secondary recovery ofhydrocarbons from a subterranean formation and more particularly {toapparatus for 'con trolling the flow of fluid from awater'bearingformation into a'plurality of hydrocarbon bearing formations-in'a given well.

2,973,039 Patented Feb. 28, 1961 struction of the'f'appa'ratlis "thereis virtually no limit in the i-nur'nber of hydrocarbonbear'ing zones inthe well into which ithe flow of "water can be controlled even in boresof conventional diameter. 'In fact, the invention has its greatestusefulness when there are at least three of such zones. Asa furtheradvantage of my apparatus,

' cemented casing in the wenbdr'e which is perforated at Within the-pastyears, it has become common'practice in the production of hydrocarbonfluids "from=the earth to apply secondary recovery methods such as waterflooding to an oil reservoir after it has been somewhat depleted throughnatural flowing and pumping. The water introduced forces oil from theproducing formation andmoves it toward nearby producing wells.

The usual practice in such cases is to obtain the water from suitablesurface sources "or salt Water bearing sands overlying or underlying theproducing zone. "Utilization of the salt water in water floodingoperationsco'rrimonly involves drawing the salt water to the-surface,treating it, and then injecting it into the'waterinput wells; Expens'ive chemical treatment is required in this process to overcome-"thechemical and bacteriological changes that occur when the salt water isbrought to the surface. Whetherthe water is derived from a surface or asubsurface source of supply, it is essential that pumping equipment andpipe lines be provided to convey'thewater from the source to one'or moreinput wells. Also, in secondary recovery operations by water flooding,it is important to exercise control over the pressures and the volumesof the water that'are injected into "the hydrocarbon-bearing formationin order to effect'maximum oil recovery at a minimum cost and to recoverthe oil within a reasonable time after operations are commenced.

. In a water flooding operation an overlying or underlying salt waterbearing sand could .be produced in a water input well and the waterallowed to pass directly into the zone to be flooded through the samewell bore, utilizing mechanical energy or the natural hydraulic energyof the salt Water bearing zones so as to effect substantial savings inwater handling and water treating. Heretofore, such an operation has notbeen commonly followed since it had to be conducted without adequatecontrol as to quantities of water being transferred through flow 'in thesalt Water bearing sands to the producing zone and little or no controlcould be had as to which of aplurality of vertically spacedhydrocarbon-bearing strata within the 'Well were supplied water. Due tofactors such as strata permeability and oil content of a hydrocarbonbearing formation, it is frequently desirable to inject Water atdifferent rates into different vertically spaced locations of a singleoil producing formation or into each of several vertically spacedproducing sands which are more or less separated by an imperviousstratum.

.The present invention is concerned with apparatus which ispart-icularlyuseful as it provides for the passage of controlled quantities of waterfrom an upper or lower water-bearing formation to one or more of aplurality of underlying or overlying hydrocarbon-bearing formationsasth'e case may be, and selectively as to the hydrocarbon b'e'aring'zonedesired to be flooded. Moreover, this con trol ismade possible withoutnecessitating'th'e removal of "a conduitstring from'the wellbore orotherwise involving a' l'arge expenditure-of timeor-money. Dueto thecontheregion of the water bearing'forination and .at each of apluralityof "hy rocarbon bearing r'egionsthrough which the well casing extends. Atubing string is provided within the well casing and includes packing.means which forms-a .sealbetweenthe tubing string and well casingintermediate-the Water bearing formation and the hydrocarbon formations.Packers .between 'the casing and tubing also serve to separate theplurality of oil producing zones. The tubing is provided with alaterally enlarged portion adjacent each of the hydrocarbon producingzones. A tubular flow control member .seat is disposed within eachlaterally enlarged portion and each seat holds a tubular flow controlmember. The flowcontrol member can be placed in .or removedfrom'its flowcontrol member seatby wire .line manipulation from the earths surfaceand the flow control member serves to provide control over the rate ofwaterflow into each hydrocarbon bearing zone. The laterally enlargedportions, flow-control memberseats and flow controlmember are sized sothat the latter can .be lowered-in thetubing past the flow controlmember seats. The sizing and construetion permit the control of flowinto any hydrocarbon bearing zone-through removal of the adjacent flowcontrol memberwithout necessitating the withdrawal of a flow controlmember opposite an overlying zone.

The invention will be most readily understood .by reference to theattached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view, partly in section, of the apparatus ofthe invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the internalconstruction of a preferred form of enlarged tubing section with a flowcontrol member placed in the flow control memberseat. v

Figure 3 is a vertical section illustrating in detail a preferred formof flow control member shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 1, well bore 10 extends through a Waterbearing formation 11and penetrates a plurality of vertically spaced hydrocarbon oil-bearingformations 12. A well casing 13 extends downwardly through the well boreand is cemented therein. The casing is provided with perforations 14 inthe region of water formation 11 to permit the entrance of Waterthereinto. The casing is also perforated in the portions traversing theproducing formations as indicated in general at 15. -A string of tubing16 is'disposed within the casing 13 and is located so that each enlargedsection 17 will be opposite an oil producing formation 12. The lower endof the tubing 16 is capped at 20. The string of-tubing is perforated at18d to allow entrance of water thereinto migrating from watersand 11.This entrance may be provided with a back check valve (notshown) or anenlarged section and flow control member-such as that of Figure 2. Onthe outside of the tubing '16 are a plurality of'packers 18, "eachofwhich' closes the annular passage 19 between the-tubing string and'thecasing between a pair of the formations 12. Packer 18b closesthe'annular passage 19 between the water bearing formation and thehydrocarbon bearing formations and "prevents w-ater ads mitted into the*annular passage 19 from 'flmvin'g therethrough directly into the lowerformations; but is spaced below the perforations at 18d to'permit fluidintroduced into the annulus between the casing and tubing string to passthrough the perforations at 180.. Thus, these perforations are generallyat the level of the salt water sand or therebelow as long as they areabove packer 18b. The several packers may be of any desired form whichmaintains a seal. 7 j

Flow control members are located inflow control member seats laterallyoffset withinthe enlarged tubing sections 17 sufliciently so that theflow control members can be separately inserted and withdrawn as with""ap'raoao I f trol member 24 is the bottom portion 30. Disposed withinthe lower portion 30 is a removable, restricted orifice member 42. Theorifice member has its longitudinal axis in substantial alignment withthe axis of the bore of the flow control member above and-below it.Immediately adjacent the orifice on eachside are spaces 55 havinginternal diameters which are larger than the flow controlmemberbore.-;;The diameterof the throat of the restrict conventionalwire lineequipment without removal of control orifice which contributesto the determination of the production string or interference with theoverlying flow control members. Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, thenumeral 17 represents a piping section adapted at itsends 9 to beengaged in the pipe string 16 of the well bore. Piping section 17 isprovided with a through bore 8 and with a laterally enlarged portion 23intermediate its ends. In the laterally enlarged portion 23 is an areacomprising a flow control member seat 25. As shown, flow control memberseat 25 is defined by the outer wall of the laterally enlarged portionof the piping section 17 and a wall 27. The lower end portion 29 of theflow control 'member seat 25 opens externally of the piping section 17.Means 22 are'provided to facilitate retention of the flow control memberwithin the flow control member seat of the flow member combination.tageously means 22 takes the form of a ring spaced above the top of theflow control member seat area and may be formed by removing a section ofwall 27 to provide the ring-like retaining member.

ed ,orifice; member. may, and to be effective" in} restricting flowisless than the diameter of the bore of the flow control member. Asshown, restricted orifice member 42 is placed atfa position which isbelow apertures 40. This removable-orifice member constitutes a flow theflow characteristics of the fiow control combination.

Bottom portion 30 is provided with an aperture.44a to facilitate passageof fluids from the bore of the flow control member to the formationbeing controlled. The aperture provided in bottom portion 30 isadvantageously located in theconical end portion 44 of the bottom por-'tion of the flow control member. The bottom portion 30 of the flowcontrol member may be provided with a check valvemeans as described inapplication-Serial No 489,246, filed February 18, 1955, now Patent2,869,646,

Advan v Disposed within the flow control member seat of the I r v p Hthe bore of the fiow control member 24, is prevented.

laterally enlarged portion 23 of piping section 17 is the tubularfiowcontrol member or bored valve body generally indicated by thenumeral 24. Advantageously, the flow control member 24 may be consideredto be composed of a plurality of threadingly engaged sectionscomprisingan upper portion 26, an intermediate portion 28 and a bottomportion 30. The flow control member can be a single unitary structureadapted to'have the characteristics discussed below or it may becomposed of a adapted to prevent ingress of fluids and sands to the flowcontrol member seat and flow control member from the formation.

To sealingly seat the flow control member 24 within the flow controlmember seat 25, resilient packingseal 46 is provided. By placing a seal46 between the inlet and outlet apertures and 44a, respectively of theflow control member 24, flow of fluids through the length of the flowcontrol member seat 25, unless it passes through Such seals maybe of anyconstruction and be disposed on either the flow control member seat orthe flow conr trol member 24 but resilient seals on the flow controlmember 24 are preferred.

plurality of sections. When the flow control member is l 1 composed of aplurality of sections, it should be understood that suitable O rings,such as 31 in Figure 3, can be included where an absolute seal isdesired. 7

The upper portion 26 of the flow control member ineludes a means 32associated therewith andadapted to a permit engagement with a wellstring tool (not shown) which is capable of inserting into and removingthe flow control member from the flow control member seat. Cir.-cumferentially disposed about the upper portion 26 is a means 34 whichmay take the shape of a shouldered projection. Means 34 is adapted toengage the upper surface retaining means 22 when the flow control memberis in operative position. Spaced below means 34 is a latching means 36adapted to permit latching engagement with the lower side of theretaining means 22. Advantageously, latching means 36 may take the formand operate as described in US. Patent No. 2,679,903. Thus,

it can be seen that the shouldered projection prevents downward movementof the flow control member and the In another embodiment of the flowcontrol member (see Fig. 26), the flow control member seat 25 is closed.off at its lower end portion 25b and instead of an aperr ture at theconical end portion 44 of the flow control member, the bottom portion'30 of the flow control member 24 is provided'with a side aperture 50below sealing means 46 and orifice member 42. The laterally enlargedportion 23 of piping section 17 is then provided with perforations 52immediately adjacent the side aperture to communicate the exterior ofthe piping section with the flow control member seat and hence to thebore of the flow control member through the side aperture. Theresilient'seal 46 is placed between the apertures 40 and the sideaperture in the bottom portion 30 of theflow con trol member 24. In sopositioning the resilient seal and openings in the flow control memberseat and flow con-' trol member 24, the flow is defined by a paththrough apertures 40, bore 56 of intermediate portion of the flowcontrol member 24 and the lowermost side aperture. For

. a more detailed description of the flow control member latching memberprevents upward movement of the flow control member until the latchingmechanism is released. 1 The intermediate portion 28 of the flow controlmem ber24 is provided with a wall inlet aperture 40 or a plurality ofsuch apertures. Advantageously, the wall 27 of the flow control memberseat is provided with perforations 41 spaced around the wall andadjacent the apertures in the intermediate portion of the flow controlmember," i.e., 'apertures40 in Figure 2, to facilitateiflow. Also, flowto the bore :55 of the flow control member can pass through the spacejust below retaining member 2-2-;in t heflow control member seat.

. --Below. the intermediate; portion 28 ofthe flow described as well asother embodiments that may be employed reference is made to applicationsSerial No. 489,245, now abandoned, and Serial No. 473,782, US. PatentNo. 2,869,645, filed February 18, 1955, and December 8, 1954,respectively.

In the present invention the opening 29 in the flow control member seat,which communicates the lower open ing 44a in the flow control memberwith the external portion of the pipe] section 19, should notcommunicate with the'pipe section bore 8 except through the flow controlmember 24. Thus, the bottom portion of the bore 56 of the flow controlmember seat does not communicate directly with the bore of the pipestring below the seal 46. In other words, this portion of the flowcontrol member seat is. provided with means to maintain it sealinglyseparated from communication with the bore of the pipe sec; tion otherthan through the flow control member and the openings 40 and '41respectively in the upper portion of the flow control member and flowcontrol member seat which do communicate with the bore.

In operation, a plurality of piping sections 17 are placed in a pipestring in a well bore at a plurality of positions, each of which isadjacent a hydrocarbon bearing formation being controlled. Annularpassage 19 is packed off by means of packers 18 and 18b. Flow controlmember 24 are then lowered into the pipe string by means of a suitablewire and directed into a flow control member seat at each formation.Water enters casing 13 from water-bearing formation 11 by Way ofperforations 14 and flows down annular passage 19 to enter pipe section16 through the check valve, perforations or flow control member at 18d.The water passes downwardly in the tubing string 16, enters theapertures 41 and goes into the flow control members through apertures40, passes through the bores of the flow control member, out of theapertures located in conical end portions 44 and into the formations 12.The rate of flow of fluid through the separate flow control member iscontrolled by the characteristics of the removable orifice 42. Forexample, increased or decreased flow into a particular area can beobtained simply by lifting the flow control member to the surface andemploying an orifice member having a larger or smaller throat diameteras the case may be. Similarly, difierent sized orifices can be employedin fiow control member at different formations and thereby permit ratesof fluid input to diflerent formations to be adopted which are optimumfor each particular formation. In the event it is desired to block ofi aformation, the flow controlling member may be replaced by a blank beanor solid member 42' (see Fig. 4).

Although the specific embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed in regard to apparatus providing controlled passage ofquantities of water from an upper formation to a plurality of lowerhydrocarbon hearing formations, it may be effectively employed insituations wherein a water bearing formation underlies the plurality ofhydrocarbon bearing formations. For instance, water bearing formation 11may underlie the plurality of hydrocarbon bearing formations 12 withwell bore 10, cemented casing 13, tubing 16, enlarged sections 17,packers 18, perforations 15 and flow control members 24 provided aspreviously described. Water passing from the salt water sand by way ofadjacent perforations in the cemented casing enters the tubing through acheck valve, perforations or flow control member at or below the levelof the salt water sand and is carried to the upper hydrocrabon bearingformations by means of a suitable pump lowered into the tubing 16 andsized to pass enlarged sections 17. A packer, closes annular passage 19between the hydrocarbon bearing formations and the water bearingformation to provide effective control of the water passing to thelowermost hydrocarbon hearing formation. By a combination of this systemwith that of the drawing, water could be passed to a plurality ofhydrocarbon bearing strata in situations where at least one such stratumis on each of opposite sides of the water bearing sand.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for controlling the quantities of Water transferred froman upper water bearing region and injected into a plurality of lowerhydrocarbon producing regions traversed by a well bore which comprises awell casing cemented in the well bore and perforated at the position ofthe water bearing region and at each of a plurality of hydrocarbonproducing regions through which the well casing extends, a tubing stringWithin said well casing, packing means forming a seal between the tubingstring and well casing intermediate the water bearing region and thehydrocarbon producing regions, said tubing string being perforated abovesaid packing means so that water can flow from said water bearing regioninto said tubing string, packing means forming seals between the tubingstring and well casing intermediate each pair of said plurality ofhydrocarbon producing regions, a laterally enlarged tubing section inthe tubing string adjacent each of said plurality of producing regions,a tubular flow control member seat in each of said plurality oflaterally enlarged sections, said seat being in communication with thebore of said tubing section and having an opening communicatingexternally of said tubing section, a bored flow control member removablydisposed in said flow control member seats, said flow control membersbeing adapted to be removed and inserted in said seats by a well toolinsertable into said tubing sections, said flow control members seatsand laterally enlarged portions of said tubing section beingproportioned to enable the flow control members to pass through saidtubing section bore, a first opening in said flow control memberscommunicating with the bore of said flow control members and the bore ofsaid tubing section, a second opening in said flow control membersvertically displaced from said first opening and communicating with thebore of said flow control members and the opening in the flow controlmember seats communicating externally of said tubing section, said flowcontrol member having a removable member positioned between said firstand second openings for restricting flow through said flow controlmembers, flow preventing means disposed between the flow control memberseats and flow control members intermediate the first and secondopenings in the flow control members, and means to sealingly separatethe internal portion of the flow control member seats communicating withthe second opening from communication with the bore of said tubingsection except through the bore of said flow control members.

2. An apparatus for controlling the quantities of water transferred froma water-bearing region into a plurality of hydrocarbon-producing regionstraversed by a well bore which comprises a well casing cemented in thewell bore and perforated at the position of the water-bearing region andat each of a plurality of hydrocarbon-producing regions through whichthe well casing extends, a tubing string Within said well casing,packing means forming a seal between the tubing string and well casingintermediate the water-bearing region and the hydrocarbonproducingregions, perforations in said tubing string in communication with saidwater-bearing region so that water can be passed from said water-bearingregion into said tubing string and to the level of saidhydrocarbonproducing regions, packing means forming seals between thetubing string and well casing intermediate each pair of said pluralityof hydrocarbon-producing regions, an enlarged tubing section in thetubing string adjacent each of a plurality of said producing regions andcommunicating with said plurality of hydrocarbon-producing regions, aflow control member seat in each of said enlarged tubing sections and aflow control member removably associated with each of said seats, saidseats being in communication with the bore of said tubing section andhaving an opening externally of said tubing section, inlet and outletopenings in said flow control members to provide a fluid flow path tothe respective adjacent hydrocarbonproducing regions, said flow controlmembers having a removable member between said inlet and outlet openingsfor restricting flow through said flow control members, said seats beinglaterally ofliset from the vertical axis of the tubing string sufiicientto permit the raising and lowering of said control members through thetubing string and past flow control member seats in overlying enlargedtubing sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,227,538 Dorton Jan. 7, 1941 2,347,779 Heath May 2, 1944 2,537,066Lewis Jan. 9, 1951 2,604,169 Miller July 22, 1952 2,679,903 McGowen eta1. June 1, 1954

